System and method for personalized video program listing and targeted content advertisement

• US 20070266403A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ou, Canhui, Savoor, Raghvendra, Gemelos, Steven, Sposato, Steve, Li, Zhi
• Application Number:
  US11/434,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266403A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via a television distribution system, automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content, and generate a personalized list of the identified preferred distributed programming content, the personalized list, displayed on initial activation of a video system, including at least one image of the identified preferred distributed programming content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically identifying preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via a television distribution system;

automatically storing information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content; and

generating a personalized list of the identified preferred distributed programming content, the personalized list, displayed on initial activation of a video system, including at least one image of the identified preferred distributed programming content.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is automatically stored in at least one set top box located in a subscriber location.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is automatically stored upstream from a subscriber'"'"'s location in the television distribution system.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is based in part on one or more categories selected from the group:

subscriber demographic factors, geographical location of subscribers, time of day, time of week, or type of program.

5. A method according to claim 1 further including monitoring the viewing of television programs by one or more subscribers in the television distribution system in order to determine the identified preferred distributed programming content.

6. A method according to claim 1 further including delivering television programs to subscribers using an Internet protocol television (IPTV) distribution system.

7. A method according to claim 1 further including delivering television programs to subscribers using one or more distribution systems selected from the group:

a cable television distribution system, satellite television distribution system, wireless television distribution system.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is based in part on an identity of a logged in subscriber.

9. A method according to claim 1 further including generating a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

10. A method according to claim 1 further including generating a thumbnail image of programming corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

11. A method according to claim 1 further including generating a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on the subscriber-specific profile information.

12. An article of manufacture comprising at least one machine readable storage medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon and operable on one or more computing systems to:

automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via a television distribution system, automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content, and generate a personalized list of the identified preferred distributed programming content, the personalized list, displayed on initial activation of a video system, including at least one image of the identified preferred distributed programming content.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is automatically stored in at least one set top box located in a subscriber location.

14. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is automatically stored upstream from a subscriber'"'"'s location in the television distribution system.

15. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is based in part on one or more categories selected from the group:

subscriber demographic factors, geographical location of subscribers, time of day, time of week, or type of program.

16. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to monitor the viewing of television programs by one or more subscribers in the television distribution system in order to determine the identified preferred distributed programming content.

17. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to deliver television programs to subscribers using an Internet protocol television (IPTV) distribution system.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to deliver television programs to subscribers using one or more distribution systems selected from the group:

a cable television distribution system, satellite television distribution system, wireless television distribution system.

19. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is based in part on an identity of a logged in subscriber.

20. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to generate a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

21. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to generate a thumbnail image of programming corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

22. An article of manufacture according to claim 12 being further operable to generate a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on the subscriber-specific profile information.

23. A system comprising:

a television distribution network;

a subscriber profile generator coupled to the television distribution network to automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via the television distribution network, the subscriber profile generator further to automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content, and

a favorites presentation generator to generate a personalized list of the identified preferred distributed programming content, the personalized list, displayed on initial activation of a video system, including at least one image of the identified preferred distributed programming content.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein the identified preferred distributed programming content is automatically stored upstream from a subscriber'"'"'s location in the television distribution system.

25. A system according to claim 23 wherein the favorites presentation generator being further operable to generate a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

26. A system according to claim 25 wherein at least one of the images in the mosaic presentation is a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on subscriber profile information.

27. A system comprising:

a television distribution network;

a subscriber profile generator coupled to the television distribution network to automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via the television distribution network, the subscriber profile generator further to automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content; and

a favorites presentation generator to generate, on initial activation of a video system, a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content.

28. A system according to claim 27 wherein at least one of the images in the mosaic presentation is a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on subscriber profile information.

29. A system comprising:

a television distribution network;

a subscriber profile generator coupled to the television distribution network to automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via the television distribution network, the subscriber profile generator further to automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content, and

a favorites presentation generator to generate, on initial activation of a video system, a personalized list of the identified preferred distributed programming content with a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on subscriber profile information.

30. A system according to claim 29 wherein the favorites presentation generator being further operable to generate a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content, at least one of the images in the mosaic presentation being the targeted advertisement.

31. A system according to claim 29 wherein the favorites presentation generator being further operable to rank placement of the targeted advertisement in the mosaic presentation based on a merchant/advertiser bid.

32. A system comprising:

a television distribution network;

a subscriber profile generator coupled to the television distribution network to automatically identify preferred distributed programming content based on subscriber-specific profile information generated at least in part from a subscriber'"'"'s viewing history of viewing broadcast television programs delivered via the television distribution network, the subscriber profile generator further to automatically store information indicative of the identified preferred distributed programming content;

a favorites presentation generator to generate a mosaic presentation of programming images corresponding to the identified preferred distributed programming content; and

a set-top box coupled to the favorites presentation generator to display the mosaic presentation.

33. A system according to claim 32 wherein the favorites presentation generator being further operable to generate a targeted advertisement, the targeted advertisement being related to a subscriber based on subscriber profile information.